Tag Archives: Fantasy

Here it is! The first giveaway for the first book in my new fantasy series, Mark of the Raven!

When I was brainstorming creative swag for Mark of the Raven, a friend suggested temporary tattoos of the raven symbol from my book. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how brilliant that was (you know, “mark” of the raven, heehee). Here’s the final tattoo image:

I am offering these tattoos exclusively to those attending Realm Makers and to all my readers for free. And if you want to enter the contest I’m holding for Mark of the Raven, here’s the guide:

1) Take tattoo and place it somewhere (on your arm, on your computer, on your friend’s forehead).
2) Take picture of tattoo.
3) Post picture on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, say something about Mark of the Raven, and tag Morgan L. Busse.
4) Three winners will be chosen on August 15, 2018, so post your picture before then.

Yes, three winners will receive a signed copy of Mark of the Raven when it comes out in November! Yeah!

So how do you get your tattoo? I mail one to you 🙂 If you want to enter (or just want one of these fabulous tattoos, or a couple to give to friends and family), please email me your address (morganlbusse@live.com). I will do nothing more with your address than mail you how many tattoos you want (and mail you a book if you win!).

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Welcome to the Lost At Sea Scavenger Hunt where we are helping the Kinsman people find a new home. If you’ve just found us, be sure to start the adventure at Stop #1, which is Jill Williamson’s blog.

Collect all the clue words in order so you can enter to win the Kindle. If you want to enter to win the second Kindle, you’ll have to take a quiz at the end, so take your time and read each post carefully. The main prizes in the hunt are open to international entries. Individual author contests, however, might have different rules, so please read the parameters on each site. You have until Sunday night, February 19, at midnight, Pacific time to finish.

If you need help, or get lost along the way, click herefor assistance.

Wilek felt good about the land in Adar-iyr, but Onika, his prophetess, had a long talk with Ela, the prophet of Parne from R. J. Larson’s novel Prophet. When the two women parted ways, Onika informed Wilek that the kinsman people could not stay in Adar-iyr, but she promised that they were close to their new home. They must trust the One God, Arman, to lead the way. So they followed the coast north until they reached the bustling metropolis of Stop #17, Word City, from Morgan Busse’s novel Tainted.

Welcome to my world! I’m a writer by day and a mother by night. I’m the author of the Follower of the Word series and the new steampunk series, The Soul Chronicles. My debut novel, Daughter of Light, was a Christy and Carol Award finalist. During my spare time I enjoy playing games, taking long walks, and dreaming about my next novel. Feel free to browse my blog while you’re here 🙂

Kat Bloodmayne is one of the first women chosen to attend the Tower Academy of Sciences. But she carries a secret: she can twist the natural laws of science. She has no idea where this ability came from, only that every time she loses control and unleashes this power, it kills a part of her soul. If she doesn’t find a cure soon, her soul will die and she will become something else entirely.

After a devastating personal loss, Stephen Grey leaves the World City Police Force to become a bounty hunter. He believes in justice and will stop at nothing to ensure criminals are caught and locked up. However, when Kat Bloodmayne shows up in his office seeking his help, his world is turned upside down.

Together they search World City and beyond for a doctor who can cure Kat. But what they discover on the way goes beyond science and into the dark sphere of magic.

The Monster Inside of Us

A long time ago on a forum I followed someone asked if necromancy could ever be used for good. The moment I read that, I saw this young woman who had been hurt by her father’s excursions into necromancy. As the story grew, it changed from a fantasy to steampunk . The young woman’s father became a scientist and through his unscrupulous experiments, he corrupted his daughter’s soul. (To read more about what steampunk is, click here)

Tainted is the story of Kat, a young woman who is curious, smart, and secretly believes she is a monster deep inside. That idea is reinforced when—in fits of emotion—she starts fires or throws furniture around with her mind. She is desperately afraid she is going to hurt someone some day or even worse, kill someone. She sees herself as a bad person because of that and so she hides who she is while secretly looking for a cure.

I believe many of us can relate to Kat and have wondered at one point if we are monsters ourselves. There is something wrong—even broken—inside of us, and if people found out, they would hate us or be afraid of us. And because of that, we try everything we can to either hide the “monster” or find our own cure.

If you resonate with Kat’s story, then check Tainted out. And be watching for Awakened, Book 2 of The Soul Chronicles, coming soon!

CLUE! Write down this clue: praise

The next stop on our map is Stop #18, the sailing ship Meredith, on Serena Chase’s blog.

Before you move on, I am giving away a signed copy of Taintedto one lucky winner. To enter, head on over to my rafflecopter giveaway and check any option or all of them to enter (giveaway will run from 2/17-2/20). Thanks for visiting my blog. Enjoy the rest of the scavenger hunt!

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Now that I’ve had enough rest for my brain to properly function again, I wanted to recap my time at Realm Makers while it’s still fresh on my mind :).

For those of you who don’t know what Realm Makers is, it is a conference for Christian writers of speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, time travel, steampunk, etc…). And not just book writers, but screen writers, manga writers, and even illustrators. This year was Realm Maker’s third year and wow has it grown since I first attended two years ago! One hundred fifty attendees, stellar teachers including David Farland, Rober Lipaurulo, and Jeff Gerke, and lots of great classes.

This year was a different year for me. Instead of going as an attendee, I was one of the teachers and mentors. And I loved it! I loved meeting one-on-one with budding writers and brainstorming with them, helping them with their character development or story arc, or just encouraging them on their writing journey.

I also loved teaching. I have been blessed with wonderful teachers in the past and I now I am in the position to pass on what I have learned. I taught a class on how to show the gospel through fiction without preaching and participated on the fight scene panel. Both were well received and it warms my heart knowing that I helped other writers.

Of course, one of the best parts of Realm Makers is the costume banquet. I don’t know of any other conference where you get to dress up as a favorite character or genre for dinner :). Here are some of my pictures from that evening (along with other moments at Realm Makers):

David Farland and Me 🙂

Fellow Enclave Authors

Steampunk!

I found Waldo!

More Steampunk!

Me and My Critique Partners 🙂

Realm Makers 2015 was a blast! I can’t wait until I can go back. And for those of you interested in my steampunk costume, next week I will be doing a post on how to build your own costume without breaking the bank. So stay tuned!

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Many of you are anxiously awaiting the final book in the Follower of the Word series, so I thought I would catch you up on what I know and what I can share.

First, I just spent the last three weeks finishing the main edits for Heir of Hope. Whew! My brain is tired! But the final story is so much better now 🙂

Tomorrow I turn in the manuscript.

So what happens next?

Micro edits. That’s where my editor and I polish up every single sentence. We hope to be done with that by the first week of November. Then I’m pretty much done until the galleys arrive, the final proof before the story heads off to the printers.

The cover is also in the works right now and I should be seeing something this month (can’t wait!).

Then pre-release stuff (like early reviews and possible endorsements, along with a cover reveal).

Then finally it will be here for all of you to read. Having just finished the book again this afternoon, I can tell you Heir of Hope is definitely worth the wait. It has been an emotional journey for me and there were days I wasn’t sure I would ever finish this book. But here it is and almost done.

So there you go. Less than six months to the release date (barring any unforeseen circumstances). In the meantime, stay tuned for more details such as the cover, blurbs, and other exciting things. And if you want to really make sure you don’t miss anything, consider signing up for my newsletter.

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A couple days ago I was invited by my friend Ralene Burke to blog about my writing process and what I’m working on. So I said sure, why not? I’m always curious about what my favorite authors are up to and I thought you might be the same. So here we go!

1) What am I working on?

If you don’t follow my Facebook page or my twitter, then you haven’t heard the news yet: I finally finished the rough draft for Heir of Hope, the final book in the Follower of the Word series. Wahoo! Yippee! *cue music and dancing*

I’ve been working on this book for almost a year and let me tell you, this is going to be one big book. It finished at 48 chapters (not including the epilogue) and at least 150,000 words (your average book is usually 80,000).

So what am I working on now? My rough drafts are usually the bulk of the story. In other words, I don’t do a lot of rewrites. The story is here, it just needs a bit of clean up. So that’s what I’m working on right now: I’m checking the pacing and continuity, adding description if it needs it, and anything else I find. I should be done in a month and then off it goes to my beta readers, then to my editor. Whew!

I don’t have a release date yet, but as soon as I do, all of you will be the first to know 😉

2) How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I write fantasy, but my fantasy lacks the usual creatures and races that other fantasies contain: like elves, dragons, orcs, etc… Instead, in my world I focus on people who are born with special gifts and abilities. I ask myself why would people possess such gifts, like the ability to see inside the soul (Daughter of Light), and how would they use this power? What choices would they make?

My books are not YA (young adult) which also sets them apart from others in my genre. I write about deep, dark stuff, but not with all the graphic details. And my characters are adults, with adult issues, ideas, and desires.

My work has been compared to Terry Brooks’ Shannara series and Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series.

3) Why do I write what I do?

A lot of authors answer this question differently. Some absolutely love writing and can’t imagine doing anything else. Some write to tell a story, others write to explore issues.

I originally wrote because I had this story inside me. But as the years passed and the rejections came, I needed more of a reason. I didn’t know if I would ever publish this series, but I still wanted to write it. I wanted to leave this series as a legacy to my children. The Follower of the Word series is a reflection of my own faith: my fears, my doubts, and my exploration of what does it mean to really follow God?

I know any story I write will have bits of me inside it. And will probably have some element of the fantastic, too. That is who I am: a mixture of questions, faith, and imagination. That is what I write. That is probably what I will always write.

4) How does my writing process work?

I’ve went into deeper detail about my writing process (How I write a novel), but in a nutshell, here it is:

~I plot months to years in advance before writing a novel.

~Storyboard my book a couple days before I start writing (this is the outline I follow).

~Write rough draft (this takes the longest amount of time). I try to write 500+ words a day. Recently I was able to move that number up to 3,000 words a day, but that is hard to sustain with a family that wants dinner, laundry done, and mommy around 🙂

~Rewrite and edit (I’m fast at this).

~I have beta readers read the manuscript and give me their feedback.

~Work in any feedback.

~Turn manuscript in to my editor.

Of course, that’s only the beginning. Then there are all the edits from my editor, proofs, etc… before I finally hold the book in my hands. But as far as my own process, this is how I write my books.

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Thanks, Ralene, for inviting me to be a part of this blog hop. If you are looking for a freelance editor or advice on marketing, look her up (www.raleneburke.com).

And in celebration of finishing Heir of Hope, here is the blurb I worked up for the back cover:

The great city of Thyra has fallen and shadows spread across the country of Kerre. Rowen Mar, the last Truthsayer, is taken before the Shadonae. But the Shadonae are not who she thought they were. And now they want to claim her as their own.

Caleb Tala, former assassin and prince of Temanin, is now a Guardian of mankind. Exiled from his country, Caleb wanders the Great Desert in search of his mother’s past. Along with him are Captain Lore Palancar and Nierne, Thyrian scribe.

These are the last days of the Eldaran race. Rowen and Caleb must find their way along the dark path set before them by their ancestors: to heal what was wounded and love where hatred grows. But the road is narrow and the darkness beckons. If either of them fails, all will be lost…

Hi! Welcome to the Spring in Your Step Blog Hop. As part of this blog hop I will be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card (details down below)

So who is ready for spring to come? Tired of the snow and cold weather? What is your favorite part of spring?

I love flowers and gardens. The moment I don’t have to worry about frost, I’m at my local nursery picking out plants. This year I’m even more excited because we just moved into a new house with built in flower boxes, many flower beds, and a raised garden spot. So excited!

Along with gardening, I also love to bike. In my hometown we have a paved trail that runs the entire town. This is especially nice since I bike with my kids. There is nothing like a warm day with the wind in your face, racing along with your kids and enjoying the scenery.

So how about you? What do you look forward to the most in the spring? Getting outside? Barbequing? Planting flowers? Share in the comments. I would love to know!

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For example: I was a huge fan of the TV series Merlin. I watched every episode, every season. In the series, Merlin was the servant of Arthur, but I knew who he would eventually become. As each season passed, I couldn’t wait for the final revelation: for Arthur to realize that it had been Merlin helping him all along and for both of them to lead Camelot together.

Spoilers (for anyone who hasn’t watched Merlin)…

They both died. Yep. Arthur found out who Merlin was, hated him (because Merlin possessed magic), but finally accepted him with his last breath. Merlin died too. And Guinevere lived on to rule Camelot alone.

WHAT?!?

That’s not what I was expecting. And that is not what I wanted! I was so upset that until this post, I have refused to talk about Merlin. Sigh.

Another example: LOST. Yes, I can see all of you shaking your heads. That’s right. LOST is another TV series I followed faithfully to the end. What was the island? Where did it’s power come from? Was it real or was it purgatory?

None of my questions were answered. Instead, the series ended with everyone in some kind of heaven looking back on their time on the island.

WHAT?!?

That was definitely not satisfying.

So now let me give you a good ending. I just finish Fullmetal Alchemist, a Japanese anime (yep, love anime). This story kept building and building up from the beginning. I was hanging on my seat. I knew the good guys had to win, but I didn’t see how it could happen. People were dying, making hard choices, losing loved ones.

It took all of season five to finish. But the ending was exactly as it should be (at least for me): gripping, bittersweet, and satisfying. It wrapped up all the threads. It was a happy ending, but that didn’t mean everyone lived, or were given their just reward. It ended just the way I was expecting (or perhaps hoping is a better word) and so much more.

As I turned off Fullmetal Alchemist, I knew I wanted to generate the feelings I was feeling right then in my readers when they finish Heir of Hope, the third and final book in my Follower of the Word series.

Friends, let me tell you this has been a difficult book to write. There is always darkness before the dawn, and there is a lot of darkness in this book. A lot of pain, a lot of sorrow.

But there is also hope, and a maturing of characters and relationships.

I am almost near the end, and I am tired (and so are my characters). I thought I would finish the rough draft next week, and that is not going to happen. Just a few days ago I wanted to throw my computer out the window and shout, “I’m never going to finish!”

But I will. I need to. I know what is going to happen, but I need to write it out and see it for myself.

So thank you for your patience. I don’t want an unsatisfying ending. I want one that grips you and stays with you, keeps you up at night thinking, and when you face something difficult in your everyday life, you think of Rowen, Lore, Caleb, and Nierne, and because they could go on, you can too.

I only have one chance to end Follower of the Word series and I want to end it well. I believe you will appreciate that when you open up Heir of Hope and read to the last page.

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Hi! This week I am part of the Leap into Books Blog Hop. As part of this hop, each and every blog will be offering a giveaway, many that will involve books. So if you are a book lover, this is the blog hop for you!

As a book lover myself, I thought it would be fun to share a list of ten books (or series) that I love. And don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of my list for a $10 Amazon gift card so you can add to your own library 🙂

Now for my list. These books are like comfort food. When I want something to read and have nothing new, I grab one of these. I have read them over and over again. These books are old friends who live on my shelf (you know what I mean?).

1) Anne of Green Gables. L. M. Montgomery’s books take me to a time and place filled with unique characters. If you haven’t read the series (past the first book), I would highly recommend you do.

2) The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings/The Silmarillion. It was The Hobbit that first sparked my love for the fantasy genre. I also love The Silmarillion. Basically it’s the history book for anything Middle Earth.

3) Pride and Prejudice. Personally I think this is the best romance written. Girl meets boy. Girl hates boy. Girl realizes she was wrong about boy. Boy does everything to win girl back. Love it!

4) The Scarlet Pimpernel. I read this book for the first time a couple months ago and absolutely loved it. It takes place during the French Revolution (fascinating time period) and revolves around a mysterious man who, with the help of a group of young English noblemen, smuggles French nobility out of France.

5) Jane Eyre. A darker tale of love, but beautiful as well. It is about a young woman who has to choose between the way of love and the way of virtue. She chooses to stand by her convictions. At the end of the book, she is finally free to marry the man she loves who by then has paid the price for his past wrongs. A wonderful book about enduring love.

6) Mark of the Lion Series. Excellent three book series that takes place during the Roman time period right after the fall of Jerusalem. The story follows a young Jewish woman who is sold as a slave into a roman household. Great historical fiction.

7) Star Wars: Heir to the Empire series. There are many Star Wars books out there written by many different authors, but my all time favorite is this first series written by Timothy Zahn. If you want to read Star Wars, start with this series.

8) Harry Potter. I first began reading this series after the teens in my youth group were asking about Harry Potter. I love these books! J.K. Rowling has written an amazing world and deep characters.

9) Sherlock Holmes. Yep, I love the man of deduction. It always fascinates me how Sherlock Holmes is able to solve each mystery by seeing what we all see, but in a different way. Classic mystery.

10) Chronicles of Narnia. I could not end a post like this without mentioning C.S. Lewis and his stories about Narnia. I will say the books are better than the movies. So go read them.

So there’s my list. What are your favorite books, those whose covers are worn and pages are dirty, but you read time after time after time again? Please share in the comments. Maybe I’ll find a new love among your lists.

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This month I had the privilege of reading WayFarer, the second book in the Tales of Faeraven series by Janalyn Voigt.

First, this is an epic fantasy, which means a world filled with magic, soul touching, winged horses (called wingabeasts), and kingdoms at war. The style of Janalyn’s writing reminds me a bit of Lord of the Rings. It has an old English feel to it that takes some time getting used to (at least it took me a while to get into the rhythm and cadence of the words and sentence structure). This writing style gives the story more of a medieval feel, which does add to the fantasy story.

Wayfarer centers around Lof Shraen Elcon (the high king) of the Kindren. We first meet him in DawnSinger (first book in Tales of Faeraven) where his mother dies and he becomes the new ruler. Wayfarer is about Elcon and his journey in what it means to be a ruler.

Elcon pursues his own passions and reaps the consequences for that. However, I want to add that he does not do it in an evil way, or even really in a selfish way. What I saw in this story was a naive young man who made choices without thinking about them.

Elcon chooses to marry a woman in haste (although from the story, they seem to really love each other, so I didn’t really have a problem with that). However, she is of a different race than him, so that causes conflict on both sides. Along with that, he had promised to court another woman, so he breaks her heart when he marries the princess of the Elder people.

I don’t want to give the plot away, but I will say this: every choice Elcon makes for just himself ends badly. But every choice he makes for others and for his kingdom ends well. I didn’t quite agree with that conclusion. Some choices are not wrong or right, they are simply left or right.

Other than that small point, I loved WayFarer. I was captured by the story and loved the characters, especially Aewen. I loved the world Janalyn created. It is colorful and vibrant, everything a fantasy lover wants in a book.

So do I recommend WayFarer? Yes! Do you need to read DawnSinger before you read WayFarer? Yes and no. I think you will get more out of WayFarer if you start with DawnSinger. But it can work as a standalone.

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During the month of October I have been celebrating anything and everything speculative. And it wouldn’t be complete without sharing some of my favorite books or books I am looking forward to reading. So if you are looking for a nice, cozy book to curl up with this winter, check out some of my suggestions 🙂

Fantasy:

The Ryn by Serena Chase. The story is your typical young person finds out they are royalty, but I love how Serena puts a unique twist on this by giving Rose (who later finds out she is the Ryn, the future savior of her people) the ability to hear other people’s thoughts. That and Rose has red hair (I love red hair!). To read my complete review of The Ryn, click here. To find out more about The Ryn, click here.

The Blood of the Kings series by Jill Williamson. Another fantasy with people who can hear minds. This three book series is a two time Christy awarding series (along with multiple other awards) and just plain good. To find out more about In Darkness Hid (the first book) click here.

And of course, my own fantasy series. The Follower of the Word series centers around Rowen, a young woman who discovers a mark on her hand, a mark that allows her to see inside the human soul. There are those who are terrified of her power, and so banish her. And then there are those who wish to possess that power and search all the Lands for Rowen, the last Truthsayer. To find out more about the first book in the series, Daughter of Light, click here.

Steampunk:
I love steampunk: the gadgets, the historical flavor, the meshing of fantasy and technology. So of course I need to add some steampunks to my list!

Crosswind by Steve Rzasa. The Stark brothers live in a western steampunk world filled with aeroplanes and trains, and lots of adventure! Click here to find out more.

Armored Hearts by Pauline Creeden and Melissa Turner Lee. When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother’s side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairy tales. Click here to find out more.

Science Fiction:A Star Curiously Singing by Kerry Nietz. In the future, Earth is ruled by Sharia law. Follow Sandfly, a debugger and a slave, who goes to a space station to fix a robot for his masters, a robot that has went mad. But little does he know his life is about to change. To read my full review, click here. And to find out more about the book, click here.

Fairytale Retellings:Melanie Dickerson has written many great fairytale retellings, minus the magic. In other words, what if the story really happened hundreds of years ago in our world? I love her stories and you will to. You can start with any of them, there is no particular order. So I will point you to the first one she wrote: The Healer’s Apprentice (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty). Click here for my full review and here to find the book. Bonus! All her ebooks are currently on sale on Amazon 🙂

Medieval Mythology:
I wasn’t sure how to categorize these last books until I saw someone else label it as myth. Yes, myth, but more like celtic or some other medieval myth, not Roman or Greek. Anne Elizabeth Stengl writes some amazing stories filled with dragons, princesses, elves, and trolls. Generally, I get tired of the same fantasy trope characters, but Anne breathes fresh air into these stories. They are truly unique and some of my favorites. The first book in her Tales of Goldstone Woods is Heartless. Click here to find out more.

Just Plain Strange:

Yes, that is the category I would put this book in (all puns intended). Amish Vampires in Space by Kerry Nietz is just that: Amish vampires in space. But less you think this book is a spoof, I personally know Kerry has taken the time to really flesh out the Amish culture and ask what would happen in the future with this group of people? How would they live, what would their lives be like if there was planet colonization and space travel? And the vampire part, more science than horror. Really, you need to check it out. Click here.

I wish I had more time and space to list out more of my favorite books, or books on my reading list, but then you would be sitting here reading this blog instead of out searching for your next book. So go forth, my friends, and read!

And please leave a comment and tell me what your latest favorite fantasy or science fiction is 🙂